Category Archives: global

Only Israel, the United States, and Ukraine refuse to stand with Cuba

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

An article from the Peoples Dispatch (licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 CC BY-SA)

On Thursday, November 2, 187 nations voted for a UN General Assembly resolution to end the cruel and illegal 60 plus year US blockade on Cuba. The only states to vote against the resolution were the US and Israel. Ukraine was the only state to abstain.


(Photo: Bruno Rodríguez Padilla via X)

In their comments about the resolution, international diplomats expressed contempt at the US-imposed blockade, which causes vast suffering on the Cuba people through shortages of goods such as food and medicine. “Let us no longer allow the violations committed thus far to be tolerated with total impunity by a regime that, with its contemptuous attitude toward world opinion, has become the most isolated state in the world,” said Joaquín A. Pérez Ayestarán, the Alternate Ambassador of Venezuela to the UN, at the UNGA debate prior to the vote.

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Question related to this article:

Are economic sanctions a violation of human rights?

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“The scale of its impact is more and more harmful to the Cuban people,” said the Representative of Gabon, Ambassador Aurélie Flore Koumba Pambo. She added that the blockade is “clearly a hostile act to region and continental cohesion.”

Bruno Rodriguez, the Cuban Foreign Minister, announced this victory of the resolution, saying that it “confirms full isolation of [the] US due to its illegal, abusive & morally unsustainable policy.”

In addition to the illegal US blockade of Cuba, there is the added backdrop of the US’s funding of Israel’s genocidal policy in Gaza. Israel has been carrying out a genocidal bombardment campaign against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, largely with United States funding. On October 31, Israel dropped six tons of US-made bombs on the Jabalya refugee camp. Israel then struck the camp for a second time the subsequent day. The number of casualties from the first and second strike has reached 195, with 120 missing and 777 injured.

The United States funds Israel to the tune of USD 4 billion each year, and is set to pass a USD 14 billion funding bill for the state in the wake of the Palestinian resistance offensive of October 7.

The US has also provided billions of dollars in funding to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on February 24, 2022.

global, HUMAN RIGHTS

RSF launches global “Collateral Damage” campaign highlighting the danger of the Assange prosecution to media and the public’s right to know

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from Reporters without Borders

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has launched a new global communications campaign as part of its longstanding efforts for the release of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange. Starting on 18 October, media supporters around the world will run RSF content, in print and online, highlighting the danger posed to all media and to the public’s right to know by the US government’s prosecution of Assange.

Developed in partnership with the French advertising agency BETC, RSF’s new communications campaign features a depiction of Assange with his facial features made up of the logos of dozens of media organisations from around the world. These media are among those that initially ran stories based on the leaked classified documents published by WikiLeaks in 2010.

“As Julian Assange’s fate hangs in the balance, it is more crucial than ever for media organisations and journalists around the world to speak out in support of the principles at stake. If the US government succeeds in extraditing Assange and prosecuting him under the Espionage Act, anyone who publishes stories based on leaked classified information could be next – and the resulting impact will ultimately be on all of our right to know. It’s time for global solidarity in support of journalism and press freedom, before it’s too late.”

Rebecca Vincent
RSF’s Director of Campaigns

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(Click here for the French version of this article or here for the Spanish version)

Question related to this article:
 
Julian Assange, Is he a hero for the culture of peace?

Free flow of information, How is it important for a culture of peace?

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The campaign tagline “Collateral Damage” refers to the danger that the US government’s prosecution of Assange poses to media around the world, as well as the public’s right to information. It is also a reminder of the “Collateral Murder” video  that was among the leaked materials published by WikiLeaks in 2010, exposing an air-to-ground attack by a US military Apache helicopter in a Baghdad suburb, which killed at least a dozen civilians, including two Reuters journalists.

The campaign is supported by Le Monde (France) and The Guardian (UK), who were among the original media partners that worked with WikiLeaks in 2010 on the “Cablegate” documents – a tranche of more than 250,000 leaked diplomatic cables. The campaign has also been supported by other media around the world.

RSF has launched this campaign less than a week before Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s state visit to Washington DC, from 23 to 26 October, where he will be hosted by US President Joe Biden. The two leaders have been urged to use this opportunity to find a diplomatic solution  to the Assange case. RSF will also be launching a global tweetstorm targeting President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese the weekend leading up to the state visit, from 20 to 22 October.

The campaign launch also takes place in the run-up to the final stage of legal proceedings in the UK, where a hearing is expected to be called  at any point – a date being referred to as “Day X.” This hearing will mark the final stage of domestic proceedings, leaving only the possibility of an application to the European Court of Human Rights if the UK court rejects Assange’s appeal against the extradition order.

The US and UK are respectively ranked 45th and 26th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2023 World Press Freedom Index.

Notes to editors:

For media organisations that would like to support this communications campaign by running the content in print or online, please contact RSF’s Director of Communications and Engagement Emilie Poirrier on epoirrier@rsf.org.

For interviews on the case of Julian Assange, please contact RSF’s Director of Campaigns Rebecca Vincent on rvincent@rsf.org. 

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global

Calls for ceasefire in Gaza

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A survey by CPNN

Already we have published two articles this week calling for a ceasefire:

Amnesty International describes war crimes committed by Israel and demands that Israel “Immediately end unlawful attacks and abide by international humanitarian law; including by ensuring they take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians and damage to civilian objects and refraining from direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks.”

Demonstrations in over 40 countries, involving more than a million people, have demonstrated for peace in Israel and Palestine, and, in effect, for a ceasefire.

Putting “ceasefire,” “Gaza” and “Israel” in a search engine, we find many more calls for a ceasefire.

UN chief António Guterres called on Wednesday for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East to ease the “epic human suffering” in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Five UN agencies, including the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the UN Development Programme, the UN Population Fund, and UNICEF called for a humanitarian ceasefire, describing th situation in Gaza as “catastrophic.”

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Questions related to this article:
 
Can International Pressure Stop the War in Gaza?

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As president of the UN Security council, Brazil proposed a resolution calling for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver lifesaving aid to millions in Gaza. The resolution would have passed except that it was vetoed by the United States, saying that “it did not mention Israel’s right of self defence.”

In the UK, over 70 INGOs urge the UK government to secure an urgent ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestinian Territories. They include UK NGOs of Medecins Sans Frontieres, Oxfam and Save the Children.

The World Organization of the Scout Movement announced “we stand in solidarity with the international community calling for an immediate end to hostilities and violence” and have contacted the national scout organizations in Israel and Palestine.

The World Council of Churches joined a statement of the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, appealing urgently for a immediate cessation of violence.

A petition published by Relief Web, calling for “an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Israel to prevent a humanitarian Catastrophe” carries the signature of hundreds of organizations from around the world, including, for example, the American Friends Service Committee, Avaaz, Care International, Christian Aid, Church World Service, CIVICUS, Fundacion Cultura de Paz, Handicap International, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Mennonite Central Committee, Nobel Women’s Initiative, Nonviolent Peaceforce, Oxfam, Pax Christi International, Peace Boat, Save the Children, Search for Common Ground and The Episcopal Church.

Among church leaders, calls for a ceasefire come from Pope Francis and from the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Among heads of state, calls for ceasefire come from Chinese President Xi Jinping and from Brazil President Lula da Silva

Among regional organizations, calls for a ceasefire come from the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Assocition of Southeast Asian Nations in their first joint summit since the two regional blocs established relations in 1990.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, Mideast,

2 October: 3rd World March for Peace and Nonviolence officially launched in the Spanish Congress of Deputies

. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION .

An article from Pressenza

The 3rd World March for Peace and Nonviolence was officially presented at the Congress of Deputies of Spain in Madrid on 2 October, International Day of Nonviolence, in the magnificent Ernest Lluch hall.


Presentation of the 3rd World March for Peace and Nonviolence. Congress of Deputies. 2 oct 2023 (Image by Pepi Muñoz and Juan Carlos Marín)

The event had a total attendance of about 100 people (most of them in person and others online), including some members of parliament and several representatives of related groups. María Victoria Caro Bernal, honorary president of the Association of Rhetoric and Eloquence of the Ateneo de Madrid, director of the International Festival of Poetry and Art Grito de mujer, who acted as master of ceremony, first read the communiqué sent by Federico Mayor Zaragoza, president of the Culture of Peace Function and former director of UNESCO, who had not been able to attend in person: “The time for confrontation, for force, is over… it is now time to act in favour of the peoples, we must stop being impassive spectators and become active citizens…”.

Rafael de la Rubia, promoter of the previous World Marches for Peace and Nonviolence and founder of the humanist association World Without Wars and Without Violence, reviewed the previous marches and commented on the main lines and the main circuit of the 3rd WM which will begin in a year’s time on the same date in Costa Rica. He emphasised the feat and the ethical value of developing a project of this magnitude without funding or sponsors of any kind.

Martine Sicard of MSG France then intervened to comment on how delicate it was going to be to specify the Africa route because of the current instability in several areas of the continent, but that we could count on the best of its people and its cultures to enhance initiatives already underway; this was completed with a video sent by N’diaga Diallo from Senegal.

It was then connected live to the Legislative Assembly in San José, Costa Rica, where Giovanny Blanco of World without Wars and without Violence and coordinator of the 3rd WM in Costa Rica, was presenting the March in front of an enthusiastic and committed audience to ensure its start from the University for Peace, a UN dependent university where there are students of 100 nationalities. They will walk more than 22 km to the Plaza de la Abolición del Ejercito in San José.

(Click here for a version of this article in Spanish)

Questions related to this article:

How effective are mass protest marches?

Carlos Umaña, co-president of IPPNW, the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, recalled the importance that the March can have in continuing to raise awareness of the danger of nuclear weapons, alluding to the current position of the atomic clock, and invited people to watch Pressenza’s documentary, The Beginning of the End of Nuclear Weapons, to encourage a paradigm shift regarding their use.

Marco Inglessis from Energia per i diritti umani intervened live from Rome-Italy, shared some projects already underway in Europe, in particular Italy, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Greece, Slovenia, France and Austria, among others, as well as the campaign Mediterranean, sea of peace, and highlighted the importance of educational work and the participation of the new generations.

Lizett Vásquez from Mexico, commented on the Mesoamerican and North American route. She pointed out that it would pass through different countries: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and the USA, where activities had already taken place in previous marches. The aim is also to arrange an interview at the United Nations at the highest possible level.

Cecilia Flores from Chile gave a sketch of what could be the route of the March in its South American part and the important spiritual role that the Parks of Study and Reflection in the area could contribute to it. In general, it would enter through Argentina-Brazil and the two possible Atlantic and non-violent corridors are still to be defined, going up to Panama to finish on 5 January in Costa Rica.

The video of the intervention of Madathil Pradeepan from India was broadcast, claiming Gandhi’s legacy as a responsibility it to make his legacy his own once again and to involve the whole of Asia in this next march. The Asian route that will finally take place remains to be defined. New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal, and India are the places through which previous marches have passed.

Jesús Arguedas, as spokesperson for MSGySV Spain, recalled that it was from Madrid that the first and second Marches were conceived and committed himself to promoting various initiatives at the Spanish level in both cultural and educational ambits, inviting everyone to make their own contribution.

Next, Rafael Egido Perez, sociologist, councillor for the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and secretary of the association Cuidadores de personas called for respect for human rights, in particular those of the elderly, migrants and women.

At the end of the event, spokespersons from various groups were invited to briefly present their field of action and their commitment to causes such as the defence of women, migrants and the environment, all of which will, of course, have a place in the March. And there were also several poetic interventions in homage to Gandhi, since 2 October has been designated as the International Day of Nonviolence precisely because it is the anniversary of his birth.

You can watch the whole event on the Congress TV channel

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Europe, global, ,

Around the world, people take to the streets for Palestine

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

Here are some of the photos of demonstrations in support of Palestine in recent weeks.


Protestors took to the streets in London and other parts of the UK to make clear that the fight must continue until Israel’s brutal occupation comes to an end. Around 180,000 people attended in London, making it the biggest pro-Palestine demonstrations in British history.


This protest in Ramallah is the biggest since the Israel-Hamas war started. [Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP]


More than 1,000 demonstrators rallied in Harvard Yard on Saturday, condemning the University for a lack of support of Palestinian students and complicity in what they described as “genocide.” Photo by Joey Huang


People protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Sanaa, Yemen October 18. Reuters/Khaled Abdullah


Protesters gather for an anti-Israel demonstration outside the French embassy headquarters along the Avenue Habib Bourguiba in the centre of Tunis on October 18, 2023. AFP


A boy passes under a giant Palestinian flag during a protest to show solidarity with Palestinians in Istanbul, Turkey. Friday Oct. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)


Members of the Palestinian community participate in a protest to support the Palestinian people amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, in front of the Israeli embassy in Santiago, Chile, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)


Thousands gathered for a pro-Palestinian protest in Paris on Thursday after authorities lifted a ban imposed after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas in Israel.


Malaysia. Photo: Socialist Party of Malaysia


Gadi/Sydney, Australia. Photo: Isaac Nellist


Brazil. Photo: Leo Diniz/União Nacional dos Estudantes


Iraqis hold a mass rally supporting the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in Baghdad. (AP)


Palestine supporters with the Palestinian and Jordanian flags during a demonstration in Amman. (AFP)


Palestine supporters holding a rally in Helsinki, Finland. (Reuters)


Members of the Friends of Free Palestine group shout slogans and wave Palestinian flags during an anti-Israel protest in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Oct.13, 2023. Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images


Several hundred Japanese and foreign residents gathered in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo on Sunday, calling for peace in the Middle East as Israel prepares to move on Gaza in its war against Hamas. (ANJ)


The demonstration in Madrid brought together 60,000 people on Sunday. Called by different solidarity associations with Palestine, the protest in Madrid occupied the entire center of the capital and exceeded the expectations of even its organisers


Hundreds of people took part in a demonstration in Kraków, Poland’s second-largest city, on Friday evening expressing support for Palestine and opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza.


Kathmandu, Oct 20: A large number of people staged protest against the killing of civilians in Gaza region on Friday. The protest was staged in front of the Embassy of Israel


Protesters wave Palestinian and Syrian opposition flags as the rally in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in the rebel-held town of Atme in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province on October 18, 2023. AFP


In a demonstration not among those approved by the government, scores of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square, where they were cordoned off by security forces. The downtown Cairo square was the focal point of the 2011 uprising that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak.

Question related to this article:

Presenting the Palestinian side of the Middle East, Is it important for a culture of peace?

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Protestors shout slogans as they hold a banner during an anti-Israel demonstration in Quetta, Pakistan. Photo: AFP


A participant in a pro-Palestine rally in front of the Israeli embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 21, 2023. Reuters


India: protesters, most of them students and teachers from Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, took to Jantar Mantar and started raising slogans ‘Justice for Palestine,’ and ‘Gaza we are with you.’ (Photo: @pherozevincent) Photograph:(Twitter)


People of different nationalities gathered after Friday prayers at Imam Muhammad bin AbdulWahhab Mosque in Doha, Qatar to rally in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, and against Israel’s relentless attacks on the besieged enclave. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

People protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Beirut, Lebanon, October 20, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

People demonstrate in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza in Beirut, Lebanon. [Amr Alfiky/Reuters]


https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/10/20/photos-palestine-solidarity-rallies-around-the-world”>Pro-Palestinian supporters carrying placards shout slogans while taking part in a protest outside the US embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. [Willy Kurniawan/Reuters]


Hundreds of people marched through the streets of downtown Montreal on Sunday in solidarity with the people of Palestine, one day after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.


People wave Palestinian and Hezbollah flags as they protest in Tehran, Iran, on October 18, 2023.


People take part in a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Eindhoven, Netherlands, on October 14, 2023. Rob Engelaar/ANP/AFP via Getty Images


Pro-Palestinian protesters take part in a rally in Copenhagen, Denmark on October 14, 2023. Rasmus Flindt Pedersen/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images


Protester wave Palestinian flags during a rally in support of Palestinians in Genova, Italy, on October 14, 2023. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images


Pro-Palestine suppers protest in South Africa


New Zealand: Protesters gather near the Palmerston North City Council building. Warwick Smith/Stuff


Demonstrators march in Rabat, Morocco, to express support for Palestinians, on October 15, 2023. Fadel Senna / AFP / Getty


Demonstrators rally during a ‘Stand with Palestine’ march in solidarity with Gaza, in Dublin, Ireland, on October 15, 2023. [Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters]


Thousands of Greeks marched in Athens on Wednesday evening (October 11) in support of Palestine, carrying banners with anti-US and anti-Israel slogans


Koreans, Palestinians living in Korea, and others rally for Palestine and against a ground invasion of Gaza by Israel in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood on Oct. 15. (Kim Hye-yun/The Hankyoreh)


In Dhaka, Bangladesh, activists protested against Israel’s actions after Friday prayers at the main mosque. (AP Photo)


Demonstrators gather to show their solidarity with Palestine despite Austrian Police prohibiting the gathering on October 11, 2023 in Vienna, Austria.


Photo of a protest held in Algiers yesterday in support of Palestinians in Gaza, as the Israeli bombardment of the besieged enclave continues.


A woman holds a banner that says ‘Free Gaza’ in a pro-Palestinian demonstration held in front of the embassy of Israel in Mexico City, Mexico. [Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu]

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, HUMAN RIGHTS, Mideast,

Tourism at the International Day of Peace Has a Double Meaning

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by  Juergen T Steinmetz in E-Turbo News

The International Institute for Tourism will meet in New York this weekend to recognize the International Day of Peace 2023.

Louis D’Amore, the American founder and president of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism will give the leadership of this organization to Indian native Ajay Prakash, CEO of Mumbai-based Nomad Travels  at a dinner at Kellari Taverna, 19 W 44th Stree, New York on Saturday, September 23, at 6.30 pm -10.00 pm.

The International Day of Peace

Speaking in New York, Ajay Prakash, the president-elect for the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism, stated that 2023 marks the midpoint in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the celebration of the International Day of Peace 2023 coincides with the  SDGSummit2023 to mark this mid-point milestone.

This year’s theme is “Actions for Peace:

Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals.”

It is a call to action that recognizes our individual and collective responsibility to foster peace. IIPT was formed 37 years ago with precisely this vision – that Tourism could become a global peace Industry and that every tourist is potentially an Ambassador of Peace.

IIPT has only one purpose – to spread greater awareness of the power of Tourism as a vehicle for Peace. The aim of “Peace through Tourism” is to eliminate, or at least reduce, the conditions that lead us to a perception that violence is necessary.

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Question related to this article:

How can tourism promote a culture of peace?

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It’s obvious to everyone that Peace is a prerequisite for the success of tourism, but the converse is equally true and Tourism can also be a powerful force to foster Peace. But to be effective Peace has to be marked by a positive presence, not an absence – it is not simply the absence of war or conflict; it is the presence of tolerance, acceptance of love, and understanding which together address and mitigate the very cause of conflict. As the Dalai Lama said, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”

There is no Planet B for humanity (yet!) and it is imperative to check the acceleration of climate change and the proliferation of conflict. Tourism, as one of the biggest global industries, has the potential to foster a Culture of Peace and to work for the creation of a more equitable and sustainable world.

Let us on World Peace Day pledge to invoke this higher paradigm of tourism. Let us integrate responsibility, sensitivity, and ethics into the core of our business strategy, and let us together pledge to further the role of Tourism as a Force for Good. If each one of us in the industry takes a step in this direction, we have the power to make the change.

Never underestimate the power of one.

A river starts as a drop, a few more drops join and it becomes a trickle, the trickle becomes a stream and finally, it’s a mighty river that sustains life until it goes and meets the sea. That is how movements are born, too. Let us today resolve to work for a more responsible, peace-sensitive tourism.

Ajay Prakash, 
IIPT Global President-elect      

About the Institute for International Peace through Tourism (IIPT)

The International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering travel and tourism initiatives that contribute to international understanding, cooperation among nations, improved quality of the environment, cultural enhancement, and the preservation of heritage, poverty reduction, reconciliation and healing wounds of conflicts; and through these initiatives, helping to bring about a peaceful and sustainable world. 

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

United Nations High-Level Meeting on Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from the United Nations

With the catastrophic potential inherent in nuclear weapons hanging over the fate of humankind, the only way to prevent the use of such arsenals — and the Armageddon such an act would unleash — is to completely eliminate them, speakers said today during the General Assembly’s annual high-level commemoration of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.


Dennis Francis (General Assembly President) in video of the High-Level Meeting on Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres observed that “nuclear sabres are again being rattled” in a world that has “spent too long under the shadow of nuclear weapons” as he delivered opening remarks.  “Let’s make history by consigning nuclear weapons to history,” he added.

To do so, however, nuclear-weapon States must lead the way, he stressed, calling on them to meet their disarmament obligations.  Any use of nuclear weapons would unleash a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions.  “This is the timeless message of the hibakusha — the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” he said, adding that the “New Agenda for Peace” can help usher in a nuclear-weapon-free world.

Also delivering introductory remarks was Dennis Francis (Trinidad and Tobago), President of the General Assembly, who stated:  “The risk of nuclear annihilation is not a chapter from our past; it is a haunting reality of our present.”  The more agitated people and nations become, the higher the risk of stumbling mistakenly into a nuclear nightmare.  “There is only one path to avoid nuclear Armageddon: that is the complete and absolute elimination of nuclear weapons,” he emphasized.

In the ensuing discussion, nearly 80 speakers took the floor to present various approaches towards creating a world free of such weapons.  Many delegates pushed for the advancement of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and commitment to the existing nuclear-disarmament-and-non-proliferation regime.  Some speakers, however, expressed frustration over the slow pace of disarmament and warned against ongoing nuclear modernization that is creating arsenals of improved speed, accuracy and stealth.

“The weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us,” said Ali Sabry, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, borrowing the words of former United States President John F. Kennedy, who addressed the General Assembly in 1961.  These words of caution are directly relevant to today’s world, he said.  For its part, Sri Lanka prides itself in offering a sense of forward movement through its accession to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons just days ago.

Yashar T. Aliyev (Azerbaijan), speaking for the Non-Aligned Movement, said that nuclear-weapon States’ lack of progress towards the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals remains an issue of deep concern to the Movement, urging  concrete steps in this area.  He added that the annual observance of the International Day is an effective means with which to draw the international public’s attention to the unacceptable dangers posed by nuclear weapons.

Keith McBean (Ireland) said that today’s meeting occurs at a time of crisis, spotlighting the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine along with its accompanying nuclear threats.  Urging Moscow to refrain from such rhetoric,  he stressed:  “Any and all nuclear threats, whether explicit or implicit and irrespective of circumstance, are unacceptable.”  He also expressed regret that the Kremlin blocked agreement on a final outcome at the tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Charles Jose, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and International Economic Relations in the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, said that — despite reductions in the deployment of nuclear weapons since the cold war — “not a single one has been physically destroyed under any treaty”.  This, coupled with the alarming modernization and proliferation of nuclear arms, calls for urgent action, he said, joining a growing call for nuclear-weapon States to completely disarm.

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Question(s) related to this article:

What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?

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In the same vein, Zaheer Laher, Chief Director of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, warned that greater emphasis on nuclear weapons’ role in security doctrines heightens the possibility of a new nuclear arms race.  In this “hypocrisy of nuclear apartheid”, he pointed out that the security of some risks the security of all humanity.  The establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, such as the one in Africa, is an important disarmament and non-proliferation measure, and he expressed support for the establishment of new zones — especially in regions of tension such as the Middle East and Europe.

On that, Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud (Egypt), speaking for the Arab Group, stressed the importance of establishing a Middle East free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.  Expressing concern over Israel’s nuclear stockpiles, he underlined the need to avoid an arms race in the region.  As such, he commended the participation of States — while spotlighting Israel’s absence — in conferences aimed at establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. 

“Latin America and the Caribbean have done their part,” said Inga Rhonda King (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), who spoke for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).  “It is well known that the countries of our region do not possess nuclear weapons,” she said, referring to the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which established a nuclear-weapons-free zone in that region.

Similarly, Tarek Ladeb (Tunisia), speaking for the African Group, underscored its commitment to the Treaty of Pelindaba, which declared Africa a nuclear-weapons-free zone.  This prohibits, among other things, the stationing or testing of nuclear explosive devices on the continent.  He urged all Member States — especially nuclear Powers and those under the so-called “nuclear umbrella” — to urgently sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and pursue the goal of a world free of such weapons.

Hala Hameed, head of the Bilateral Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, was among those who recalled the very first Assembly resolution — adopted in 1946 — which identified nuclear disarmament as a leading goal of the United Nations.  To that end, the Maldives joined the 68 States that have ratified or acceded to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, she noted, urging all Member States who have not done so to ratify the instrument.

While many speakers echoed the call to advance that accord, Ishikane Kimihiro (Japan) was among those who underlined the importance of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.  Urging nuclear-weapon States to proactively fulfil their obligations under the latter, he also pledged to cooperate with the international community to address non-proliferation issues related to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Iran.

In the absence of his counterparts from certain top nuclear-weapon States at today’s meeting, Geng Shuang (China) said that his country has consistently upheld a nuclear strategy of self-defence.  Beijing, he stated, “always keeps its capabilities at the minimum level required” to safeguard national security, never engages in arms races with other nuclear-weapon States and neither provides a nuclear umbrella nor deploys weapons abroad.

As well, Sanjay Kumar Verma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs of India, said that his country is a responsible nuclear-weapon State and is committed to maintaining credible minimum deterrence with a posture of “no first use” and “non-use against non-nuclear-weapon States”.

Meanwhile, Zahra Ershadi (Iran) noted that allocations by the United States and the United Kingdom of $50.9 billion and £3 billion, respectively, to their nuclear-weapon programmes clearly indicate the ongoing failure of nuclear Powers to meet their disarmament obligations.

On that, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, warned that global military spending grew for the eighth consecutive year in 2022 to reach an all-time high of $2.24 trillion. Calling this “scandalous”, he said that millions of dollars spent on nuclear weapons should go to alleviate poverty and hunger.

Building on that was Michael Bootii Nauan, Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives of Kiribati, who detailed the impacts of nuclear-weapon testing in 1958 on his country’s people.  Unaware of the dangers of such tests, many would later complain about all sorts of untreatable illnesses and die.  He therefore issued a demand to safely dissemble all nuclear weapons and re-direct their “nuclear profits” to peace and industrial development.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, global, United Nations,

The sea rescue association SOS MEDITERRANEE wins the Right Livelihood Award 2023

. TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY . .

An article from SOS Mediterranée

As the humanitarian crisis intensifies in the Mediterranean, the humanitarian and maritime organization SOS MEDITERRANEE is the winner of the Right Livelihood Award 2023, considered the “alternative Nobel Peace Prize”.

In 2023, the Mediterranean saw the highest number of deaths since 2017. A dramatic observation for a humanitarian crisis that continues. A crisis recognized and highlighted by the presentation of the Right Livelihood Award to the SOS MEDITERRANEE association, for having provided assistance to more than 38,500 people in the central Mediterranean.


“There are already more than 2,000 deaths recorded in 2023, just in the Central Mediterranean region. » declares Caroline Abu Sa’da, General Director of SOS MEDITERRANEE Switzerland. “For us, it is therefore extremely important that the Right Livelihood Award highlights the situation of these thousands of people who are trying to cross the Mediterranean, risking their lives. »

The humanitarian and maritime organization is honored to be among the winners of the Right Livelihood Award 2023. For more than 40 years, this award has recognized and supported individuals and organizations who work tirelessly to solve the world’s greatest challenges. SOS MEDITERRANEE thus joins the prestigious list which notably includes the Ukrainian human rights defender, Oleksandra Matviichuk and the Congolese doctor Dr. Denis Mukwege.

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(Click here for the French version.)

Question for this article

The refugee crisis, Who is responsible?

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The Right Livelihood Award provides valuable visibility on the dramatic situation at sea, as well as on the new constraints weighing on the association, such as the considerable increase in the price of fuel or the allocation of very distant disembarkation ports, after the rescues.

SOS MEDITERRANEE would like to warmly thank all its volunteers, donors, partners and supporters who make its mission possible. “This award is the result of collective work and the commitment of many people dedicated to sea rescue.” concludes Caroline Abu Sa’Da.

About SOS MEDITERRANEE:

SOS MEDITERRANEE is a maritime and humanitarian organization rescuing people in distress at sea. It was founded by European citizens in 2015 and launched rescue operations in the central Mediterranean in February 2016. Since then, the organization has provided assistance to more than 38,000 people at sea. More than 9,000 people have been rescued by the Ocean Viking since it began operating in August 2019. The non-profit organization, based in Switzerland, France, Germany and in Italy, is mainly financed by donations.

About the Right Livelihood Award:

For more than 40 years, Right Livelihood has honored and supported courageous people working to solve global challenges. Each year, Right Livelihood highlights changemakers with an award. To date, 194 winners from 76 countries have received this distinction. By recognizing the actions of these visionaries and making meaningful connections around the world, Right Livelihood encourages urgent, long-term societal change.

The prize was created in 1980, after the Nobel committee rejected a proposal to create two new prizes to recognize those who work for social justice and environmental protection.

(Thank you to Kiki Adams, the CPNN reporter for this article.)

global, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Week of Global Mobilization for Peace in Ukraine

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

Excerpts from the website of the International Peace Bureau

The International Peace Bureau (IPB) calls the civil society organizations in all countries to join a Week of Global Mobilization for Peace in Ukraine (WGMPU) from Saturday 30th September to Sunday –  8th October 2023. The common goal is to call an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

As a participant in the international Ukraine coalition, IPB will compile and record all the events and incidents associated with the WGMPU on this webpage.

The interested groups will carry out their own initiatives to advance peace in Ukraine. IPB’s responsibilities are to promote all the planned activities and advertise them on the website and social media pages. You can join us with your activities using this link.

Here are the actions listed as of October 3. For links to the actions, click on the respective country on the IPB page.

➤ Austria
– IFOR & ATTAC
2 & 3 Oct. 2023: “The Ukraine War: Backgrounds and Perspectives”. Lecture by Clemens Ronnefeldt with discussion. Organiser: International Fellowship of Reconciliation. 2.10.2023, 19:00 in Linz (Wissensturm Kärntnerstraße 26); 3.10.2023, 19:00 in Vienna (C3, Alois-Wagner-Saal, Sensengasse 3)

➤ Belgium
– Vrede
24 Oct. 2023 (5pm): Koningsstraat (Congreskolom tegenover nr 77, 1000 Brussel – Stop the killing! An arms truce for Ukraine! In Belgium, the peace movement is calling for people to participate in a peace vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

➤ Canada
–September 30-October 30 street vigil at 10AM – handouts and discussions on alternatives to violent responses to conflict on an international scale
Location: Arnprior District Museum 35 Madawaska Street,
Arnprior, ON K7S 2N7
– Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network
The Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network (CWPJN) urges people in Canada to join the global mobilization with actions across the country from October 1-8 demanding an end to the war in Ukraine.
– Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War:
September 20th: Webinar Cluster Bombs & Depleted Uranium Weapons in Ukraine: 2 More Reasons to end the War Now!
October 7th: Anti-war rally – Send a message to the Trudeau government! Where: Federal Building, 55 Bay Street North, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

➤ Czech Republic
Prague Spring II Network
7 October (10:30 – 17:00 CEST), Webinar: Social and Ecological Paths to Peace. Register here.

➤ Denmark
The Peacemovement of Esbjerg
Thursday, October 5 (5:30pm), Hovedbiblioteket Esbjerg, Nørregade 19, 6700 Esbjerg – Presentation and Debate “Ceasefire and Peace Negotiations in Ukraine“.

➤ France
– Le Mouvement de la Paix & Collectif 21 Septembre:
21 September, for the International Day of Peace
23 September, for rallies and demonstrations against nuclear weapons
26 September, the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
Saturday October 7, everywhere in France, gatherings and demonstrations within the framework of the “World Day of mobilizations and actions for peace.

➤ Germany
IPB:
September 30th, at 13:00 CEST: Webinar – Immediate Ceasefire and Negotiations: The Development of the War in Ukraine since the International Summit for Peace (more details here)
October 1st: Conference in Frankfurt – CREATE PEACE! At 10:00 in Saalbau Gallus.
October 3rd:
Hamburg: Frieden statt Krieg! DIE WAFFEN NIEDER! A rally is planned in front of Altona station / Mercado at 13:00 followed by a demonstration to Fischmarkt.
Munich: Frieden statt Krieg! DIE WAFFEN NIEDER! From 14.00 Odeonsplatz. Munich Peace Alliance supports the International Demand: Peace through peaceful means.
Kalkar: demonstration for peace at the Bundeswehr and NATO command centre, 11:30 a.m.
Frieden und Diplomatie website with more information (in German).

➤ Hungary
– WILPF activists for peace in Europe:
29.09., 30.09., 01.10: Conference in Budapest (conference venue)

➤ India
6th of October – Peermade: discussion organized by an IPB inidividual member

➤ Ireland
– Irish Neutrality League 
28 September: In person event – Why Neutrality Neutral Ireland can play a positive role supporting ceasefire and negotiations.

➤ Israel
– Club for Social Initiatives – OneFuture
5 October (11am), In person event, Hod HaSharon Park – “An urgent summit of countries with nuclear weapons – as a way to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. “PLEDGE never to use nuclear weapons first – NFU – No First Use agreement”. Street, open area talks with people and Parlament Members.

➤ Italy
– Europe for Peace and Rete Pace e Disarmo:
Saturday September 30 (3pm), Turin – Centro Studi Sereno Regis, via Garibaldi 13 – Conference “Get out of the war system and build a peace policy“;
Monday October 2 (6pm), Modena – Galleria Europa, piazza Grande n. 17 – Conference “War? I have an objection“.
Saturday October 7 – National demonstration ‘Together for the Constitution‘, in Rome;
Mobilisation in several cities. More information will be provided over the next two weeks.
“Ceasefire and negotiation to save life and build peace”
– Comitato Pace e non più Guerra
Saturday September 30 (4pm), Teatro Ghione Roma Italy. “Peace, Land and Dignity Assembly“;

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Questions related to this article:
 
Can the peace movement help stop the war in the Ukraine?

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➤ Mexico
– Grupo Renovador México del Foro Social Mundial/Mexico Renewal Group of the World Social Forum
October 7 16.00 Mexican Time (3am UTC) mobilisation at the Hemiciclo Juárez, Ave Juarez, Mexico City and afterwards Assembly 17:30 Mexican time (4am UTC) at the Sindicato de Electricistas Avenida Insurgentes Norte Mexico

➤ Nepal
– Youth for Human Rights Campaign Nepal
Event in office

➤ Nigeria
– Living Values Children Education Foundation/International Youth Summit On Peace and African Unity
30th September: Roundtable Dialogue: Building Capable States In The World in Lagos

➤ Norway
– Fredsinitiativet 2022 (Norwegian Peace Initiative 2022), International Women’s Leauge for Peace and Freedom – Norway (IKFF) and Stop NATO:
7th October: Demonstration in Oslo – there will be speeches in front of the Norwegian Parliament Stortinget, then a march via the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Russian Embassy. Among other speakers: Aslak Storaker, Norwegian representative of the IPB. 

➤ Philippines
– Philippine Initiative on Critical and Global Issues:
October 7 (9am), Metro Manila Zone One Tondo Organization – Community, Art for Peace Workshop.
October 7 (10am), online, Webinar on Zoom and FB Live “WEAPONS AND NUCLEAR POWER IN SPACE – Keep Space for Peace Week”.
– Peace Women Partners and ZOTO: October 8 (9am), Urban Poor Community in Metro Manila – Art workshop, teach in.

➤ Spain
– ATTAC:
5 of October, 19:00 CEST – Plaça de la Mare de Déu Valencia-España: Street action called by the Assemblea Popular Vàlencia Contra les Guerres (Vàlencia Popular Assembly Against the Wars).
– Federación Unión Africana:
30 of September, 17:00 CEST – València, Calle del Marqués de Montortal, 65 – 46019. Workshop What we talk about when we talk about peace.

➤ UK
– Lancaster Friends Meeting House:
27 September (12pm) – Meeting House Lane, Lancaster, Quaker meeting for worship followed by meal and discussion.
“Our desire for peace unites every person from Ukraine to the UK”
– Côr Gobaith:
30 September (11am) – Street choir at Owain Glyndwr Square, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Cymru
“Safwn gyda chi – We stand with you”
3 October 2023 (12pm) Peace vigil for Ukraine in Owain Glyndwr Square, Aberystwyth – A chance to do a simple action to show your support for peace in Ukraine. Bring banners and placards! “Stronger Together “
– The Peoples Assembly:
30 Sep. – 2 Oct. 2023: “National Demonstration and Festival of Resistance
1 Oct. 2023 (12 pm): “National Demonstration” at Oxford Rd.

➤ USA

– Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment
October 3, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM First Parish on 35 Church Street in Watertown, in person event.
– Defuse Nuclear War
Sep. 17: March for Peace at the joyful 46th annual Willy Street Parade!
Bring the kids! Bring the adults! Find us easily by coming at 10:30 am to 1025 Williamson St, in the rear next to Nature’s Bakery parking lot. Or look for us and our banners at 10:45 in the crowded parade staging area at 926 Williamson St. Parade steps off at 11:00. We’ll have lots of peace banners, flags and signs, or you can bring your own. 
Sep. 21 – 5 pm – 7:45 pm International Day of Peace Movie & Letter Party to Defuse Nuclear War & for Peace in Ukraine – Hawthorne Library, 2707 E Washington Ave.
Defuse Nuclear War & for Peace in Ukraine have called for national and international weeks of action Sept 24 – Oct 8. Events will be held throughout this country and across the world. In Madison we will host four events.  In this first event, we will stream a movie or a webinar, then cooperate to craft letters to editors or commentaries related to the topics that are being highlighted nationally in the two weeks of action. Info on all the events: https://worldbeyondwar.org/madison/

Sep. 24 – 3:00 – 4:30 pm, Debate: Is War in Ukraine Justified?
Madison Watch Party for World BEYOND War’s conference — No War 2023: Nonviolent Resistance to Militarism – RSVP to warabolition@gmail.com for location.
In this 1.5 hour friendly debate, moderated by Marcy Winograd of CODEPINK, we’ll hear 3 perspectives debated: 1) Russia had no choice but to invade Ukraine, argued by former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, 2) Ukraine had no choice but to fight Russia, argued by journalist James Brooke who works as the Ukraine/Russia columnist for The New York Sun, and 3) Russia and Ukraine both had options better than war, argued by WBW Executive Director David Swanson.  In this third event, we will watch a live-streamed debate by experts on the war in Ukraine.

Sep. 30 – 9:30 am – 11:00 am Speak-out at Dane County Farmers Market
Rotary Park, N Hamilton & Pinckney, the outdoor performance space by the entrance of the Children’s Museum.  In this third event, will speak-out to Defuse Nuclear War and for Peace in Ukraine. We will broadcast our messages “a viva voce” to the market-goers!

Sep. 30 – 12 pm – RALLY – TAKE ACTION FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE! Stop the killing – Ceasefire Now! Negotiations for Peace, Not Endless War Saturday, Rally and March from Downtown Crossing to Boston Common.

Oct 1 – 7:00 – 8:00 pm Candlelight Vigil for Peace in Ukraine for People of Faith and Conscience. Capitol Square – State Street Steps. 

Oct 26, 6 pm – National Bird about illegal drone murder.
Central Library, 201 W Mifflin St, Room 302. Discussion following the film. Free popcorn. RSVP if you can to warabolition@gmail.com. In this fourth event, people of faith and conscience will vigil with candles at the Capitol. Madison Veterans for Peace, Chapter 25 and Madison for a World BEYOND War are launching a New Antiwar Film Series. 

Nov 30, 6 pm – Theaters of War: How the Pentagon and CIA took Hollywood.
Central Library, 201 W Mifflin St, Room 302. Discussion following the film. Free popcorn. RSVP if you can to warabolition@gmail.com. Madison Veterans for Peace, Chapter 25 and Madison for a World BEYOND War are launching a New Antiwar Film Series.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

A Global Call for Peace in Ukraine Emerges at UN General Assembly

. .DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .

An article by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies in Common Dreams ( reprinted according to Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

As it did last year, the 2023 United Nations General Assembly has been debating what role the United Nations and its members should play in the crisis in Ukraine. The United States and its allies still insist that the UN Charter  requires countries to take Ukraine’s side in the conflict, “for as long as it takes” to restore Ukraine’s pre-2014 internationally recognized borders.

They claim to be enforcing Article 2:4 of the UN Charter that states “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.”

By their reasoning, Russia violated Article 2:4 by invading Ukraine, and that makes any compromise or negotiated settlement unconscionable, regardless of the consequences of prolonging the war.

Other countries have called for a peaceful diplomatic resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, based on the preceding article of the UN Charter, Article 2:3: “All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.”

They also refer to the purposes of the UN, defined in Article 1:1, which include the “settlement of international disputes” by “peaceful means,” and they point to the dangers of escalation and nuclear war as an imperative for diplomacy to quickly end this war.

As the Amir of Qatar  told the Assembly, “A long-term truce has become the most looked-for aspiration by people in Europe and all over the world. We call on all parties to comply with the UN Charter and international law and resort to a radical peaceful solution based on these principles.”

This year, the General Assembly has also been focused on other facets of a world in crisis: the failure to tackle the climate catastrophe; the lack of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals  that countries agreed to in 2000; a neocolonial economic system that still divides the world into rich and poor; and the desperate need for structural reform of a UN Security Council that has failed in its basic responsibility to keep the peace and prevent war.

One speaker after another highlighted the persistent problems related to U.S. and Western abuses of power: the occupation of Palestine; cruel, illegal U.S. sanctions against Cuba and many other countries; Western exploitation of Africa that has evolved from slavery to debt servitude and neocolonialism; and a global financial system that exacerbates extreme inequalities of wealth and power across the world.

Brazil, by tradition, gives the first speech at the General Assembly, and President Lula da Silva  spoke eloquently about the crises facing the UN and the world. On Ukraine, he said,

The war in Ukraine exposes our collective inability to enforce the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We do not underestimate the difficulties in achieving peace. But no solution will be lasting if it is not based on dialogue. I have reiterated that work needs to be done to create space for negotiations… The UN was born to be the home of understanding and dialogue. The international community must choose. On one hand, there is the expansion of conflicts, the furthering of inequalities and the erosion of the rule of law. On the other, the renewing of multilateral institutions dedicated to promoting peace.

After a bumbling, incoherent speech by President Biden, Latin America again took the stage in the person of  President Gustavo Petro of Colombia:

While the minutes that define life or death on our planet are ticking on, rather than halting this march of time and talking about how to defend life for the future, thanks to deepening knowledge, expand it to the universe, we decided to waste time killing each other. We are not thinking about how to expand life to the stars, but rather how to end life on our own planet. We have devoted ourselves to war. We have been called to war. Latin America has been called upon to produce war machines, men, to go to the killing fields.

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Question related to this article:

Can the culture of peace be established at the level of the state?

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They’re forgetting that our countries have been invaded several times by the very same people who are now talking about combatting invasions. They’re forgetting that they invaded Iraq, Syria and Libya for oil. They’re forgetting that the same reasons they use to defend Zelenskyy are the very reasons that should be used to defend Palestine. They forget that to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, we must end all wars.

But they’re helping to wage one war in particular, because world powers see this suiting themselves in their game of thrones, in their hunger games and they’re forgetting to bring an end to the other war because, for these powers, this did not suit them. What is the difference between Ukraine and Palestine, I ask? Is it not time to bring an end to both wars, and other wars too, and make the most of the short time we have to build paths to save life on the planet?

…I propose that the United Nations, as soon as possible, should hold two peace conferences, one on Ukraine, the other on Palestine, not because there are no other wars in the world—there are in my country—but because this would guide the way to making peace in all regions of the planet, because both of these, by themselves, could bring an end to hypocrisy as a political practice, because we could be sincere, a virtue without which we cannot be warriors for life itself.

Petro was not the only leader who upheld the value of sincerity and assailed the hypocrisy of Western diplomacy. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves  of St. Vincent and the Grenadines cut to the chase:

Let us clear certain ideational cobwebs from our brains. It is, for example, wholly unhelpful to frame the central contradictions of our troubled times as revolving around a struggle between democracies and autocracies. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a strong liberal democracy, rejects this wrong-headed thesis. It is evident to all right-thinking persons, devoid of self-serving hypocrisy, that the struggle today between the dominant powers is centered upon the control, ownership, and distribution of the world’s resources.

On the war in Ukraine, Gonsalves was equally blunt. “…War and conflict rage senselessly across the globe; in at least one case, Ukraine, the principal adversaries — the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Russia — may unwittingly open the gates to a nuclear Armageddon… Russia, NATO, and Ukraine should embrace peace, not war and conflict, even if peace has to rest upon a mutually agreed, settled condition of dissatisfaction.”

The Western position on Ukraine was also on full display. However, at least three NATO members (Bulgaria, Hungary and Spain) coupled their denunciations of Russian aggression with pleas for peace. Katalin Novak, the President of Hungary, said,

…We want peace, in our country, in Ukraine, in Europe, in the world. Peace and the security that comes with it. There is no alternative to peace. The killing, the terrible destruction, must stop as soon as possible. War is never the solution. We know that peace is only realistically attainable when at least one side sees the time for negotiations as having come. We cannot decide for Ukrainians about how much they are prepared to sacrifice, but we have a duty to represent our own nation’s desire for peace. And we must do all we can to avoid an escalation of the war.

Even with wars, drought, debt and poverty afflicting their own continent, at least 17 African leaders took time during their General Assembly speeches to call for peace in Ukraine. Some voiced their support for the African Peace Initiative, while others contrasted the West’s commitments and expenditures for the war in Ukraine with its endemic neglect of Africa’s problems. President Joao Lourenço  of Angola clearly explained why, as Africa rises up to reject neocolonialism and build its own future, peace in Ukraine remains a vital interest for Africa and people everywhere:

In Europe, the war between Russia and Ukraine deserves our full attention to the urgent need to put an immediate end to it, given the levels of human and material destruction there, the risk of an escalation into a major conflict on a global scale and the impact of its harmful effects on energy and food security. All the evidence tells us that it is unlikely that there will be winners and losers on the battlefield, which is why the parties involved should be encouraged to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy as soon as possible, to establish a ceasefire and to negotiate a lasting peace not only for the warring countries, but which will guarantee Europe’s security and contribute to world peace and security.

Altogether, leaders from at least 50 countries spoke up for peace in Ukraine at the 2023 UN General Assembly. In his closing statement, Dennis Francis, the Trinidadian president of this year’s UN General Assembly, noted,

Of the topics raised during the High-Level Week, few were as frequent, consistent, or as charged as that of the Ukraine War. The international community is clear that political independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity must be respected, and violence must end.

You can find all 50 statements at this link on the: CODEPINK website

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global, United Nations,